Orton Small Pyrometric Cones for Kiln Sitter 06 (50) Review (2026)

Who this cone fits

This box holds 50 Orton Small Cones rated for cone 06, made specifically for the kiln sitter mechanism found on many manual electric kilns rather than for digital controller kilns. A kiln sitter is a mechanical arm that rests on the cone during firing, and when the cone softens and bends at temperature it drops the arm and cuts power to the kiln automatically. That makes this a good match for potters running an older manual kiln, a classroom kiln, or a secondhand kiln bought without electronics. Anyone with a digital controller kiln that reaches temperature and shuts off on a programmed schedule does not need these for shutoff duty, though a small cone can still be set on the shelf as a backup witness.

Small cones versus large witness cones

Small cones are shorter than the large, self supporting cones sold for shelf placement, and Orton designs them with a taper so the sensing rod can rest against either the thinner or thicker part of the cone to fine tune exactly when the shutoff triggers. Small cones used on an open shelf typically deform a few degrees after a large cone of the same number would, which is a detail worth knowing if you compare readings between a sitter cone and a shelf witness cone in the same firing. Since 2016 Orton has packaged small cones in pairs rather than loose, a change made to cut down on breakage in shipping, so expect the box to be organized that way.

Setting up and firing with a kiln sitter

Loading a kiln sitter correctly means placing the cone across the sensing rod at the right angle, with the tip supported so it droops toward the rod rather than away from it as it softens. Because these are a low fire cone 06, they suit bisque firings and low fire glaze loads specifically, and a mismatched cone number is one of the more common reasons a manual kiln either shuts off too early or overfires. A box of 50 covers a full season of regular firing for most hobby studios, and since the cones are inexpensive relative to a firing, most potters keep a spare box on hand rather than running out mid load.

How it stacks up against the standard witness cone

Against the regular Orton Cone 06 pack sold for shelf use, this small cone scores the same overall but ranks just behind it in Potterynest's pyrometric cone guide, mainly because it only serves kilns with a sitter mechanism while the large cone works in any kiln. If your kiln has both a digital controller and a mechanical sitter as backup, some potters keep both types on hand, a small cone in the sitter for automatic shutoff and a large cone on the shelf as a visual check. Compared with the cone 05 and 04 packs in the same line, this 06 number stays on the cooler end of the low fire range.

Verdict and who should pick something else

Choose this box if your kiln uses a mechanical kiln sitter and you fire bisque or low fire glaze around cone 06, matching our score of 8.8 out of 10 for how well it fits that specific job. Skip it if your kiln relies on a digital controller with no sitter mechanism, since a large self supporting cone for shelf viewing serves that setup better, or if your work is fired at stoneware temperatures, where a cone 5 or 6 small cone is the correct match instead of this low fire number.

Frequently asked questions